If this was last season, the Michigan basketball junior guard would be fielding dozens of questions about why he's struggling, why his shot isn't there and what he plans to do to break out of a slump.

But this isn't last season.

He's shot just 17 of 47 from the floor during No. 3 Michigan's last four victories, but his willingness to help in other areas has seemed to mask any issues he's had with his jumper.

"I'm just trying to find ways to myself involved in the game and help my team out," Hardaway said after Michigan's 80-67 win over Arkansas. "Just pushing the ball up the court, finding guys, and doing my best to help the big guys down there with rebounding."

Hardaway went 3 of 10 from the floor against Arkansas, 1 of 4 from 3-point range.

But, he finished the game with 9 rebounds -- including a team-high 8 on the defensive glass. Michigan coach John Beilein tried not to be overly critical of Hardaway last season when he was struggling to score, but if there was one area he consistently harped on, it was Hardaway's presence on the defensive glass.

And, on top of that, his new-found ability to handle the basketball from end-to-end has turned him into a one-man fast break. Perhaps the loudest example of that came early in the first half Saturday, when he picked up a loose ball, raced through the defense and found Glenn Robinson III on the wing for a thunderous one-handed flush.

"His responsibilities are different," Beilein said. "He's a two-guard now. His man is blocking out as much, so he goes down there and cleans it up and it's a great way to start a break.

"There's no outlet, he just goes. And we encourage that."

Hardaway spent the summer working on his ball-handling a great deal, showcasing those new-found abilities at the Kevin Durant Skills Academy.

He's also been better defensively. He's blocked five shots, and he also drew a key charge against Arkansas late in the game Saturday.

And, he hasn't exactly been bad offensively. Hardaway's still averaging 15.4 points per game, and through nine games, he's shooting an even 50 percent from the floor.

More than that, though, he's more mentally sound this season -- and teammates have noticed.

A shooting blip like this might have derailed Hardaway a year ago. This season, not so much.

"He's definitely responding better to adversity," Michigan junior Jordan Morgan said. "He's made a lot of strides in that area."

Hardaway's shot hasn't been completely on target lately, but not as many people are worried about it this season.